android

Android is a household name today with nearly 81% of smartphones running on this operating system. However, there are not many who know of the humble beginnings of this giant. The infographic here allows us a glimpse into the journey of Android from an operating system meant for digital cameras to what it is today. The Android loyalists are sure to enjoy this peek into the world of their favorite operating system.

It all started with Android 1.0 being released for HTC Dream phone in 2008. Unlike what we have now, this initial version was heavily dependent on the hardware. Through the years the Android developers have brought a number of delicious sounding goodies which have managed to improve our smartphone using experience manifold.

The latest Android Lollipop was an attempt to embrace the new ‘Material Design’ by Android. This upgrade is a resounding success despite the fact that not all Android users have upgraded their handsets. Android M, the latest in the long line of Android operating systems and was unveiled on 28 May 2015 with a ‘Developer Preview’. This upgrade promises to be just as successful as its older siblings, though we very much miss the yummy title that is otherwise associated with an Android release.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and the iPhone 6+ are probably the most coveted big screen phones of 2014. We call the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 a phone, even though we realize it’s a part of the Galaxy Note phablet range. The differences between a smartphone and a phablet – a smaller tablet with all the features of a phone – have become almost non existent these past few years. In 2011, the Samsung Galaxy Note had a huge 5.3 inch screen – about a couple of inches bigger than most smartphone screens. This made it more of a tablet than a phone. Today, in 2014, it’s no longer uncommon for everyday smartphones to have 5 inch screens. The iPhone 6, the smaller one, has a 4.7 inch screen, for example.

The iPhone 6+ is Apple’s first attempt at making a phablet. The product should let it take on the other phablets in the market, like the Google Nexus 5 and, of course, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Apart from a few features, like the presence of the S Pen on the Galaxy Note 4, the two devices are comparable to each other:

The Design

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is close to the Note 3 in design. It has the same faux leather back and some plastic components, but it does have a new metal frame. It has a squarish look to it and chamfered edges. The phone has a width of 3.09 inches and a length of 6.04 inches. You can get it in white, gold, black and hot pink.

The iPhone 6+ has an aluminum chassis, with smooth, curved edges – very different from the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 6+ looks similar to a new-gen iPad from afar. The iPhone 6+ has a width of 3.06 inches and a length of 6.22 inches. The phone is available in gold, silver and space grey colors.

If you place the devices side by side, you will see that the iPhone 6+ is slightly bigger than the Galaxy Note 4. It also looks much more sleek and high-end. The Galaxy Note 4, on the other hand, appears to be easier to hold because of the faux leather back. It also seems to be sturdier, which you may or may not prefer.

The Screen

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a 5.7 inch screen with a resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 QHD at 515ppi. Samsung used the well-known AMOLED technology for the Note 4.

The iPhone 6+, on the other hand, has a 5.5 inch screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 401 ppi. Apple has used the Retina HD display for the screen, which runs with IPS technology.

So which screen is better? The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a larger screen running at a higher resolution. However, you can’t really tell the difference if you place the phones side by side. Most apps are not optimized for the higher resolutions these devices support either. The colors on the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 appear to be a little brighter though.

The Processing Power

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 quad-core processor running at 2.7GHz. It has an Adreno 420 GPU and 3GB of RAM.

The iPhone 6+ has a dual-core Apple A8 processor with 1.4GHz. It runs a quad-core PowerVRGX5450 GPU and has 1GB of RAM.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 trumps the iPhone 6+ in terms of processing power. The iPhone 6+ is a very fast, well-optimized phone, though, so don’t underestimate its performance.

The Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a 16 MP camera at the back and a 3.7 MP camera at the front. The camera is a significant improvement over its predecessor, featuring optical image stabilization and letting you record ultra high quality 4k videos at 30fps.

The iPhone 6+ has an 8 MP camera at the back and a 1.2 MP camera at the front. This camera is almost identical to the one on the iPhone 5S. It does give better video performance, though, letting you record at 1080p at 60fps.

We found that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 lets you take better-quality pictures, capturing greater details and giving you more vivid colors. The iPhone 6+ has a competitive camera which, while not as good as the Note 4’s camera, is still pretty good.

Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 has a 3220mAh battery, which is the same battery as the one found on the Note 3. However, you can now charge 50% of your battery in just 30 minutes.

The iPhone6+ has a smaller 2914mAh battery, while the iPhone 5S has a 1440mAh battery. It takes up to 3 hours to charge to 100%.

If you loop a video on both devices, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 stays alive for about 14.5 hours. The iPhone 6+, on the other hand, will stay alive for about 9 hours.

Android vs. iOS

We are really not looking to get into a debate here! Both Android and iOS have their advantages and drawbacks. The iOS is a streamlined, safer experience, as you can use only Apple approved apps. Android, on the other hand, is more customizable and has more apps, period. Both operating systems are easy to use and give you similar features.

The Verdict – Which Phone Should You Buy?

The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 costs $700 to $825, depending on the carrier, for the 32GB version. The 64GB version of the iPhone 6+ will set you back by about $850- the full retail price. Even though the phones are similarly priced, the Samsung Note 4 distinguishes itself because of its higher battery life and better specs in general. It also has a stylus, the S Pen, which makes navigating and using apps a breeze.

If budget is not a concern and you don’t mind using a phone with a stylus, you can’t go wrong buying the Galaxy Note 4. You might find that you like the Apple 6+ offers a better experience though, if you like iOS. You should try out both phones before you buy – but we would probably end up buying a Note 4.

One of the biggest startup success of our times, Google has becomes synonymous with instant information. So much so that today the word “search” is on a brink of extinction with the new expression “Google it” taking over. The Oxford English Dictionary has Google listed as a verb and a noun, goes to show its prowess and the mind-space it occupies.

What started on September 4th 1998 as a privately held company, Google became a name to reckon with in all these years and today offers bevy of internet related products and services. It was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D students at Stanford University. Since its IPO in 2004, the growth of Google has been rapid and has been responsible for increasing its reach exponentially through acquisitions and other partnerships.

Some of its breakthrough products that have been the lifeline of internet are discussed below.

Search Tools

Google Search: The core competency and the blood line of the company, Google search engine is its first and most famous product. Google receives over 100 billion requests on a monthly basis and also serves the regional domains.

Accessible Search: Built for the visually impaired, the results give accessible websites to minimize distractions and make browsing easy for the disabled.

Blog Search: This search lists all the blogs and not just the ones listed on the blogger.

Google Books: This search engine provides full texts or excerpts from the printed books, depending upon its agreement with the publisher.

Google Custom Search: The user can create a personalized search option for their websites.

Google News: the search engine is automatically updated by all the latest news in more than 20 languages.

Web History: web page tracking service that records all the searches, pages, videos, images, music etc.

Image search: The results on this search engine are based on the file name corresponding to the image.

Google Alerts: this is an email notification service which notifies every time there is a new result in the chosen items.

Advertising Services

Google AdSense: contextual advertising solution is offered to the web publishers that provides Google AdWords relevant to the site content.

Google AdWords: Advertisement option in the sponsored links section that can boost the website traffic and subsequently sales.

AdWords Express: easy online advertising option available to the customers

DoubleClick: This service is for the buyers or creators of the digital media which gives them the technology to manage the advertisements.

AdMob: Mobile advertising service offered to the mobile operators

Communication Tools

Google 3D Warehouse: This tool allows the users of Google Sketch Up to hosts 3D models of existing locations which also includes buildings. These models can then downloaded by Google earth or other users.

Google Apps: This service is available to business owners or education providers to customize the apps under their custom domain name. The service includes Gmail, Google Docs, Google groups, Google sites, Google earth, Gtalk etc.

Blogger: this is a weblog publishing service which allows the users to create custom blogs with features like comments section, photos etc.

Google Bookmarks: This free online bookmark service is available to all the Google account holders free of change.

Google business solutions: These set are services are specifically for the business owners with products that include Google AdWords, Google AdSense, Google Analytics, Google site search, Google website optimizer etc.

Google Calendar: this free calendar service can integrate your Gmail account. You can share the event and the ‘quick add’ function can be used to add events to the calendar.

Google Docs: get remote access to documents, spreadsheets, power-points which can be published or collaborated.

Google Drive: online service that allows backup and storage. This service is also linked to your Google docs.

Google Hangouts: IM and video-chat portal which has integrated Gtalk, Google+ and Hangouts service into single application.

Gmail: freeIMAP& POP email service offered by Google. This email service is highly popular because of its elastic storage capacity and search based UI.

Picassa Web Albums: one of its kind online photo-sharing platforms used widely for its easy accessibility.

Google Fonts: free directory of hosted web fonts

YouTube: One of the most famous video sharing portals that allows users to share, upload and view videos online.

Miscellaneous Products & Services

Google App Engine: allows the users to develop and run web apps

Google Maps: provides the most accurate driving directions and local business search to people using the mapping service

Google Analytics: get pure number data regarding the traffic your website generates with the help of AdWords integration into the content.

Google Earth: desktop based application is a virtual 3D globe that uses the imagery from satellite, aerial photographs and GIS

Google Public DNS: new entry into the DNS domain can be accessed publicly.

Operating System

Android: This operating system is Linux based and powers smart phones and tablets

Chrome OS: Linux based OS works with web based apps only.

Discontinued Services

Orkut: This social networking service was initially available through invitation only which was later opened up to everyone. You can use it create personal and professional networks.

Google Deskbar: this feature had a built in mini browser in the desktop bar.

Google Click to Call: One could speak to the businesses free of charge after looking them up Google search

Google Lively: Animated chat program that ran on 3D model

Dodgeball: This social networking site was built specifically for mobile phone users. They could text their location to find the nearest friends, interesting hangouts etc.

Google Rate finder: This service could be used in 14 US cities to get real time rates of taxis, limousines and any other shuttle service.

Google Buzz: social networking integrated with Gmail to allow users to share photos, videos, updates etc in one go.

Picnik: online photo-editor service

Meebo: users could create their personal profile and then advertise on a social network

Google Talk: IM service for text and video chat was replaced by Google hangouts

Google Schemer: search allowed to look for activities that can be done at home or globally

Google notifier: alerted the users of any new messages in their Google Account

You Tube My speed: now known as Google video quality report

Google, over the years has been there and done that. It’s offerings extend much beyond this list and continues to grow successfully. It has constantly experimented and brought in innovative solutions to augment the user experience. The newest entrant in the long lineup of Google products, we hear are the driver-less vehicles. Are you ready to get in?

Google kicked off its annual developer conference, Google IO 2014 in San Francisco on Wednesday. The two day event focused on unveiling the road map for many of its products. The conference which was largely an invitation-only event, concluded today with over 80 sessions on the agenda covering important announcements on its long list of products.

The keynote, as expected was choc-o-bloc with announcements that’ll cheer billions of android users globally. We round up the big announcements, hits, misses, and things to look forward to from the company that once considered naming itself “The BackRub”!

Android L : Taking a bite off the Apple?

Google announced its contender to iOS 8, simply called L (Android 5.0) thus moving away from its history of naming its OS after sweet treats. If the end-result is anything like the keynote suggests, it is sure to be lapped by its billion-strong users.

Android L will feature what Google calls Material Design, with its pixels having not just shape but also depth. This would hand immense power to the developers to create more real world designs that are portable across devices without losing finess or functionality. Other major changes would include lockscreen notifications, and proximity sensing auto-lock to beef up on device security.

Android Auto : In Top gear

You won’t have to fumble with your phone while driving anymore. Android Auto integrates seamlessly into your car with support for steering buttons, touchscreen and console dials. You also get Google maps incorporated in your car system with other mobile features like contacts, messages, reminders and more. With Android Auto under the bonnet, it’d be like taking your smartphone on a spin!

Android TV : Stream Entertainment

In its rechristened avatar, Android TV will feature refined scrolling for better user experience. Also on the anvail is the voice search feature that’ll help you search for your favorite movies, tv shows and even stars. It’ll have a native game support that should bring cheer to the Android dev community. Sony, Philips and Sharp are some of the manufacturers on board already. Though, Samsung seems conspicuous by its absence in that lineup.

Android One : Pocket-friendly ‘droid

An android device costing less than a $100 is a sure-fire way to capture the mass markets. Through Android One, low cost phone manufacturers globally will be able to ascertain minimum hardware requirements for unified Android experience to users.

The program will launch in India with the arrival of devices for manufacturers like Micromax and Karbonn Mobile.

Android Wear : Gear up

Google unveiled it Android Wear SDK with LG’s G watch and Samsung Gear Live. The wearable technology will take a quantum leap with users getting a host of smartphone features right on their wrists obviating the need to whip out large screen phones to check new updates.

Going by the demo, it would support both square and round displays. Android Wear will let users browse Google Now cards-like interface and supported apps from paired smartphone. The wearer can also create notes, reminders, set alarms, and make calls using the “OK Google” command.

While Samsung and LG are both accepting preorders for the smartwatches from today, Moto G will launch later this year.

Chromecast Update

Google’s home invasion continues with the new Chromecast update. The most notable feature is that the user doesn’t need to be on the same wifi network to cast content. Users will now have an option of connecting through other available devices nearby or via cloud.

Android for work

Google aims to bridge the gap when it comes to Android users personal and work life with Android for work on a single device. It will integrate applications in one place. The users will now be able to access MS Office native edit functions in Google docs.

For its enterprise customers, Google will introduce a premium Drive with unlimited storage at $10 per user per annum.

Google cloud : Up and about

Though there were no ground-breaking announcements on the Cloud front, Google demoed improvements that’ll let developers debug a live application running on multiple servers.

The new suite will include Cloud Save, Cloud Monitoring, Cloud Trace, and Cloud Debugger.

Google fit : Step on it

Like its rival Apple, Google too had jumped onto the fitness bandwagon with Google Fit. It’s a multi-OS API for fitness apps and devices. It will partner with Nike, Adidas, and Withings

Google Play : Game on

Google Play Games has added 100M new users in the past 6 months alone! It is no wonder then Google is going all out to woo them with new additions like leaderboards and game progress screens. For those who like a bit of challenge there’s a new Quest feature that allows the gamers to set and surpass goals.

So, what was missing?

With so many announcements to be excited about, one can easily forget to remember the big ticket items that didn’t get any attention. And Google IO did keep the lid on for some biggies.

Google Plus didn’t find a place in Google’s agenda this year. According to a Google spokesperson at IO, the social network didn’t fit into this year’s theme of Develop, Design, and Distribute. With this omission Google’s blow-hot blow-cold relationship with the social network continued.

Also out of focus was Google Glass which hogged major limelight in the same conference last year. Even though, the delegates all turned up in Glass in such large numbers that it seemed like a part of the dress code!

The bots didn’t find a place in the conference or a mention in the keynote despite high expectations from fans after the Boston Dynamics acquisition last year.

For Google the focus this year was clearly on the bouquet of products and tools that can help developers enhance the Android experience for its end users.

With pages of browsers available for the Android tablet and phones in Android Market, who has time to install and try them? These browsers lead the market, but which one depends on how you like to surf the web and your device. Some browsers work better with some devices more than others do.

These Android browsers have many fans, so you’re bound to find the perfect one or come close to it.

Dolphin features gestures that let you draw your way around the web. You can create your own gestures such as drawing a “G” to open Gmail. Another popular feature is multi-touch-zoom where you pinch your fingers on the screen to change the text size or double-tap a spot to zoom in and out on that spot. Dolphin makes the most of the small screen space by letting you access the toolbar when you need it with a quick swipe.

You won’t find Awesome anywhere else except Firefox for Android — Awesome Screen, that is. It learns from your browsing experience to make it faster by giving you instant access to favorite history items, bookmarks and open tabs for all versions of Firefox.

Firefox desktop users can sync bookmarks, history, open tabs, passwords and form data with Firefox for Android. The customizable browser hides the toolbar until you call for it so you have more screen space.

Opera has two different browsers for the Android. Both use the same technology and user interface. Opera Mini’s engine lives on the server while Opera Mobile installs on your tablet or phone. Because of this, Opera Mini runs faster.

Opera Mini downloads fewer elements than Mobile because Mini’s server converts the code to a lighter one before delivering it to the device. However, Opera Mobile has the capability to render more complex websites. Fans of Opera Mini choose the browser for its speed.

Some people like to use more than one browser like using Opera for watching videos and then another for regular browsing. To select one as your default browser, open the one you want and Android pops up a dialog box where you can check “Set as Default.” Going forward, it’ll open the default browser anytime you click a link.

What mobile browser do you use? Please share your experiences with mobile browsers in the comments section.

3 Great Web Browsers for Android Tablets and Phones was last modified: March 13th, 2016 by Meryl

Although the iPhone has been the “it” phone for some time, the Android is not set on second place. In fact, the Android has generated a major threat. In a struggle to compete, Apple has even resorted to lowering their prices on the iPhone. While Google and Apple continue in their phone war debacle, the customers are taking first place. As a result of the battle, hundreds of amazing Android Apps have been developed for consumer pleasure and convenience.

If you own an Android powered phone, you may be wondering which Apps to download. Here is an organized list detailing the 100 best Apps available. From business to music and for everything in between, you are guaranteed to uncover an App that will make your life a little less hectic and a lot more rewarding.

In the last few years, there has been a new focus when it comes to personal accounts and devices. That focus is compatibility, and the most commonly asked question of any software update or new piece of technology is what it can sync to and use. With companies making alliances all across the board and creating affiliates between sites and programs, it is a great time to take advantage of get all of your devices up to date and connected for simplification.

When it comes to the Android, there are some really great ways to attach it to your accounts. The most popular option is connecting it to social media, and Facebook is the king of all networking. While Facebook itself doesn’t have an option for this yet (though they have allowed users to sync up to other sites), there are several different apps that show you how to link your Android contacts with your Facebook account, making it easier than ever to have all of your friends, family and coworkers in one place.

ContApps

ContApps is a great and easy to use app that completely syncs your Facebook and Android. It works by drawing the contact information from your profile and adding it to your phone. From there, you can also see the latest updates and statuses from those friends, located with their contact information. It shows both in a single space, making it simple to keep up.

Be sure to check out the bottom buttons. The best feature has to be ‘Google It’, which will run a personal Google search on the contact you have selected. You can also use the ‘Social Feeds’ feature, which is pretty cool.

Try it now with this barcode:

AddressBook

One of the most popular organizational apps for the Android, this program has much wider uses than most. It doesn’t just connect with Facebook – though this is available with a plugin. It can actually connect with Twitter, Myspace, Yahoo, Tumblr and a mass of other websites. It even has a plugin for YouTube, which is helpful if you prefer not to use the standard web browser for viewing videos, which can be slow and hard to search.

Basically, each synced site will have its own little button, which you can select and search through contacts and information. Think of it as a way to sync and manage your profiles and contacts. The only downside is that it doesn’t have the personalization of ContApps, as it is more broad than singular in use.

Try it now with this barcode:

These are only two of many, many applications that have been created for the Android to help you sync your phone and Facebook, among other sites. But these are the best I have found, and I actually have both on my Android right now. I would recommend either or both, even if you keep ContApps for Facebook and AddressBook for other sites without that specific plugin. It will be worth it just for the simplification they both offer.

HOW TO: Link Your Android Contacts With Facebook was last modified: April 13th, 2011 by Kate